Top 10 must-see Minnesota music videos this week

Local Frames is a weekly column spotlighting the best new music videos featuring musicians and directors with Minnesota ties.

We've got a bunch of fantastic new videos in this week's installment of Local Frames, leading off with the provocative and playful new clip from Caroline Smith. This edition includes new vids from Ginkgo, Moonstone Continuum, Har Mar Superstar, the Ocean Blue, and J.W. Schuller. We're also spotlighting an intimate and awesome Live Letters performance where a bunch of talented local folks cover the Boss, a raucous KISS cover from the Oddfathers, a lively acoustic take on the 'Mats by 4onthefloor frontman Gabe Douglas, and a spirited Record Store Day road trip documentary that features plenty of familiar sights and faces at Electric Fetus and Hymies. Enjoy!

Momentum has certainly been building around the Twin Cities and beyond leading up to Caroline Smith's big show Friday night at First Avenue. Not only does she and her talented band have a wonderful new record to promote, Half About Being a Woman, (which hits stores on October 8), but Caroline will also be celebrating the tremendous support her fans have showed towards her music and her cause, as the Kickstarter campaign she started -- to help fund the printing of her new record, as well as touring costs, music video funding, and other promotional ties -- easily reached its goal. Which leads to her vibrant, alluring new video for "Magazine," which was directed/edited by Dan Huiting. In addition to drenching the band in milk, the clip captures Smith and her lovely friends unguardedly frolicking in their skivvies, celebrating themselves as well as the self assured spirit of the song.

Ginkgo - "Faded Glory"

Josh Grier is taking a bit of a break from Tapes 'n Tapes, but thankfully his creative drive is still burning, as he's just released Manopause, the spirited debut record from his dynamic side project, Ginkgo. This exuberant clip for "Faded Glory" is the first single from the record, and captures plenty of easygoing sights of summertime in Minneapolis, which only compliments the track's boundless spirit and energetic pulse. You can catch Ginkgo opening for White Denim at the Turf Club on October 24.

Har Mar Superstar - "Prisoner"

Sean Tillmann is riding a wave of well-deserved popularity here in the Twin Cities, with Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak proclaiming last Friday Har Mar Superstar day before his sold-out show at First Avenue. The brazen, exuberant Har Mar is currently on tour in support of his smooth, soul-laden new album, Bye Bye 17, and landed none other than Juliette Lewis to star in his new video for "Prisoner." The track has a bit of a Grease-like swing to it, and the retro-styled, dirt bike filled video certainly plays off of that impassioned, carefree vibe.

Moonstone Continuum - "Hors D'oeuvres"

The suave Minneapolis ensemble known as Moonstone Continuum are back with a new record, Salon Edition, and this amusing but sultry video for "Hors D'oeuvres" is the first clip drawn from the album. It's great to have Moonstone Continuum back to keep the Twin Cities smooth once again, and hopefully they will play some more live shows around town in support of their terrific new record.

The Ocean Blue - "Ground Gives Way"

The Ocean Blue return with a lovely new video for "Ground Gives Way," drawn from their wonderful recent record, Ultramarine. This dreamy, ethereal clip, directed by Ginny Pitchford, blends striking images of outer space with live shots of the band, creating a tranquil mood that perfectly compliments the wistful nature of the song itself.

Live Letters have already provided local music fans with many memorable performances at various intimate rooms and lofts around the area. Now, they have a bit of a home base established at Soo Visual Arts Center, where Actual Wolf hosted their first event in the new space. And what a show it was, with Trampled By Turtles' Dave Simonett joining Frankie Lee, Claire de Lune, and Actual Wolf for a night of inspiring acoustic-fueled music. This clip, of the crew taking on Bruce Springsteen's impassioned anthem, "Atlantic City," captures some of the magic of the night.

Gabriel Douglas - "Treatment Bound"

Everybody's talking about the Replacements as of late, and for good reason, as the legendary Minneapolis band have made a grand return to the stage with a series of three rapturously received live shows throughout North America over the past few weeks. The 4onthefloor frontman Gabe Douglas clearly got caught up in the 'Mats unbridled spirit as well, as he delivers a rollicking take on "Treatment Bound" to promote his band's upcoming appearance at a Communion Minneapolis event at Varsity Theater on October 15. That show will feature performances by Willy Mason and Roadkill Ghost Choir, in addition to the 4ontheFloor and Yacht Club DJ's. Who knows, maybe Douglas will bust out this fervent 'Mats cover that night as well.

The Oddfathers - "Let Me Go (Rock & Roll)"

The music of KISS will always have an audience, and local rockers the Oddfathers tap into that boundless energy for their rousing cover of "Let Me Go (Rock & Roll)," which is featured on a recent KISS tribute album, A World Without Heroes. The album benefits a cancer hospice, and features a wide variety of bands covering songs from throughout each era of KISS' legendary career. A great cause and the songs of KISS -- you really can't go wrong, and this lively clip from the Oddfathers just sweetens the deal.

Record Store Day 2013 Roadtrip

The folks behind the Bozeman, Montana-based Get It On Vinyl had a very ambitious goal around last year's Record Store Day. They traveled across the Midwest and visited as many independent record stores as they could, and met with the owners and employees of those shops to ask them what they think makes a successful record store in this modern era. They stopped by the Electric Fetus and Hymies Vintage to get their stories, and captured some of the craziness of RSD 2013 at the Fetus itself. This documentary celebrates the lasting appeal of record stores, and the good people who keep those shops running smoothly.

J.W. Schuller - "All Important Artists"

J.W. Schuller did the indie scene with a band in the past, but then took a long break from music before recently returning to performing live -- but instead of playing clubs, he was doing gigs at old folks' homes. That experience motivated him to write a new collection of songs that are inspired by our tenuous time on earth, and the short lives we must cherish and make the most of while we can. His debut solo album, All Important Artists, was just released this week, and this clever, playful video (featuring old Library of Congress photographs) for the title track, pokes some fun at creative folks who take themselves and their art a bit too seriously.